How to Rid Your Kitchen of Lingering Fish Smells

It's delicious and nutritious, but boy can fish be stinky sometimes!

But don't let thoughts of a stench that lingers long after all the dishes have been washed keep you from cooking fish at home.

For starters, no piece of uncooked fish should be pungent. If you're overwhelmed by a foul or overwhelmingly fishy smell when you remove it from its packaging, toss it immediately. A repulsive odor means the fish isn't fresh and could be unsafe to eat. As a general rule, fish shouldn't smell until it's prepared.

It's also important to keep in mind that the smell-level of a fish has a lot to do with how you choose to cook it. As Reader's Digest points out, frying can be an especially stinky preparation, while other techniques, like cooking fish in foil or paper, can minimize lingering smells.

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If the stink has already seeped into your surroundings, Good Housekeeping has a brilliant DIY solution for vanquishing funk. In a saucepan, mix three tablespoons of white vinegar and one cup of water, and boil for several minutes. Vinegar is acidic and odors are alkaline, allowing it to neutralize smells.